UK firms hooked on costly legacy IT

Shoddy legacy systems are doing the image of UK techies no favours in the boardroom, research has found.

More than three-quarters of companies say their legacy systems aren't able to keep pace with their business objectives, according to a report by outsourcer Atos Origin and the National Computer Centre.

But while legacy systems may be creaking and costly to maintain, they're still vital. Around a quarter of those surveyed said they use legacy applications to support 50 per cent of their critical business systems.

The continued use of legacy systems is also presenting a skills crisis for businesses, with more than 60 per cent of companies worried about core skills and lack of knowledge.

According to silicon.com's own CIO Jury legacy remains the biggest headache for CIOs, who said continued use of such systems can hinder business transformation and drain tech budgets.